548 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ass. 31 



"The hands of almost all the attendants are wounded, because the 

 novice bites therm After four days they are paid for this. On the 

 fifth night after this, it is announced that the novice will show himself 

 again, this time in the house of the Cannibal Society. This house 

 has been specially prepared. A long pole covered with red and 

 white cedar bark is erected in front of it. This is to indicate that the 

 breath of the novice has supernatural power. Whenever the novice 

 utters his cry, the pole is turned round. When the time comes, 

 some one runs out, shouting, and says, 'Now let all the crowds come 

 into our house ! ' All the people enter, and the family of the novice 

 spreads some new mats over the heads of the people, so that they 

 may not be seen by him. Then they begin to sing, and the novice 

 comes forward, wearing his grizzly-bear skin, a large twisted ring of 

 cedar bark d} T ed red (about sixteen inches in circumference, deco- 

 rated with two rows of abalone shells) around his neck, and a mask 

 representing a bird with a beak about twelve feet long. This mask is 

 supported by two princes belonging to the same society. Three 

 skulls are attached to the beak. The novice goes around the fire, 

 and two or three women of high rank dance before him, turning their 

 hands round and round. He cries in a very high pitch (J). 1 After he 

 has gone around the fire, he goes back into Ms room, which is separated 

 from the main room by a beautifully carved screen. At the same 

 time all the whistles are heard in the room. A few hours after this 

 the marching-song of the Cannibal is started. The drum is beaten 

 in a five-part rhythm, 2 and he comes forward and dances. This 

 time he wears no mask, only around his neck a heavy ring of cedar 

 bark dyed red, on his head a ring of cedar bark about six inches wide, 

 and on his hands and feet bark rings about four inches wide. While 

 he is dancing around the fire, some one says, 'Now get ready!' 

 and all the people who are covered by the matting make ready to 

 run out. As soon as the singers mention the name of Haialilaqs, 

 he becomes excited, throws off his grizzly-bear skin and his rings, 

 and rushes against the people. Then his attendants take hold of 

 him again and allow him to bite them, men as well as women. During 

 this time the people run out. After four days more, the members of 

 the Cannibal Society make another pole like the first one, and place 

 it above the door of their house, and they stretch a rope (?) 3 thirty 

 or forty feet across the street to keep the people away from the door 

 of their house. If any one should walk under this rope outside of 

 their hall, they catch him, take him in, and kill him, if he does not 

 join their society. If he is not killed and does not promise to join the 

 society, one of his relatives will die in his place. 



1 This passage in Mr. Tate's description is not quite clear. 



VI J J /I J J /I etc. 



3 This passage is not quite clear. It may be thai a polo is stretched across the street. 



